Swing indicator attachment for golf clubs including spaced electric light bulbs



June 29, 1965 F. G. HOOPER 3,191,939

SWING INDICATOR ATTACHMENT FOR GOLF CLUBS INCLUDING SPACED ELECTRICLIGHT BULBS S Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 27, 1962 F. G. HOOPER June 29,1965 SWING INDICATOR ATTACHMENT FOR GOLF CLUBS INCLUDING SPACED ELECTRICLIGHT BULBS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 27, 1962 ""J'I'A I I III I I I3,191,939 LUDING June 29; 1965 F. G. HOOPER SWING INDICATOR ATTACHMENTFOR GOLF CLUBS INC SPACED ELECTRIC LIGHT BULBS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FiledAug. 27, 1962 3,191,939 c Patented June 29, 1965 This invention relatesto a sporting device which is usable for the purpose of trainingsportsmen in the correct stroking of bats, forexample, cricket bats,tennis racquets,

golf clubs, baseball bats and the like.

When a ball is being struck by a bat, for example, a golf club, itisusual for a player to sweep the bat through an arc and the strikinginstrument continuously changes its angular relationship with referenceto a ball, and if the players eye is stationary, it follows that theangular relationship will alsovary with reference to the players eye. aI

In many sports the angular relationship of the bat to the ball at thetime of impact is a matter of'very great importance, and in the strikingof a golf ball by a golf club, for example, becomes of paramountimportance.

The main object of this invention is to provide means which will assista sportsman or professional coach in determining the characteristics ofthe swing of a bat.

In its simplest form the invention consists of a bracket, bat-engagingclamp means on the bracket, globe-retaining means on the bracket, a pairof spaced globes in the globeretaining means, and a flexible cableelectrically connected to both globes and extending from the bracket,the globes being arranged in a fore and aft relationship with each otherso that they intersect at impact between a ball and a bat to which thebracket is clamped.

An embodimentof the invention wherein it is applied to a golf club isdescribed hereunder in some detail with referenceito and is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which: 1

FIG. lis a perspective view showing the sporting device of thisinvention secured to the lower end of a golf club, i 7' FIG. 2 is afront elevation of the bracket of the device when clamped to a club,

FIG. 3 is a section on line 33 of FIG. 2,. i r

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section of an end of the boo showing themounting arrangement for a globe,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the globe-retaining member, 1

FIG.'6 is an elevation of the inner half case of the battery case, and

FIG. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of FIG. 6, but illustrating both theinner and outer half cases when in their assembled condition.

The sporting device comprises a bracket 10, the bracket 10 beingconnected by means of a flexible cable 11 to batteries 12 in a batterycase 13;

The bracket 10 comprises two main portions, one being a sheet metal boom15 and the other a support member 16. The support member 16 has on itsone end a sheet metal boom engaging portion 17 which engages over oneend of the boom 15 (see FIG. 2). The sheet metal used for both the boomand support member is coated with polyvinyl chloride or otherthermoplastic material either before or after pressing, and thecontiguous surfaces of the two members are held together while heat isapplied to thereby eflect a weld between the adjacent surfaces ofpolyvinyl chloride.

The support member 16 has a boom-engaging portion 17 which extends inthe direction of the normal path of travel of a bat to which it isattached, and extending to one side of the boom-engaging portion 17 is ahorizontal portion 18, the horizontal portion 18 merging into abatengaging clamp portion 19. The bat-engaging clamp portion 19 includesa pair of spaced diverging walls 21, and each of these walls 21 areturned at their edges through nearly 180 to form upturned flanges 22.The walls 21 constitute bat-engaging clamp means, while the upturnerdflanges 22 are engaged by inturned lips 23 on a saddle 24, the saddle 24carrying a clamping screw 25 which is engageable against the stem 26 ofa bat, which in this embodiment is shown as the golf club 27. i V

The boom 15 has two spaced apertures 30 and 31 which are illuminationapertures, the aperture 31 being aligned with an aperture 32 in the boomengaging portion '17, and in this embodiment these apertures are soarranged that upon correct swing of the golf club 27, the paths of lightestablished by globes visible through the apertures 30 and 31 intersectat the point where the ball is normally struck. The boom 15 has inwardlydirected horizontal flanges 33, the flanges defining a parallel openingbeneath the boom 15. A globe-retaining member 34 is formed of a strip ofpolyethylene of constant cross-section, and includes a pair ofoppositely disposed flange-engaging grooves 35. These flange-engaginggrooves 35- are atthe bases of upwardly converging side walls 36, sothat the globe-retaining member 34 can be clipped into position intheopening defined by the inturned horizontal flanges 33 of the boom'15.

The upper surface 38 of the globe-retaining member 34 has a centralglobe-retaining groove 39 flanked on each side by a conductor-retaininggroove 40. A pair of transverse narrow slots 41 and 42 interconnect thegloberetaining groove 39 with the two conductor-retaining grooves 40,and a pair of pear-shaped globes 43 and 44 are disposed within thegroove 39. Each of the globes 43 and 44 has its connection wiresdisposed for a short distance adjacent the globe within theglobe-retaining groove 39, and then passing through a transverse narrowslot and being positioned along the conductor-retaining groove 40.Conductors are disposed within the grooves and these are connected tothe ends of the twin flexible cable 11. v j

' FIG. 4 shows the arrangement wherein the globe-retaining member 34 ispositioned within the boom 15, and is retained against end movement bythespring member 47. The spring member 47 engages a positioning plate 48which is arranged to engage the striker surface 49 of the golf club 27.The positioning plate 48 is constituted by the front end of the boomengaging portion 17 turned downwardly.

The battery case 13 comprises an inner half case 52 which mates edge toedge with an outer half case 53, the inner and outer half cases 52 and53 beingreleasably retained together by means of a retaining screw 54which is threaded into a threaded boss 55 on the inner face of the innerhalf case 52.

The battery case 13 carries a pair of dry cell batteries 12 which engageat one end a lower contact bridging strip 58, one of the batteries 12engaging at the other end a fixed contact 59'while the other batteryengages a second fixed contact 60, the fixed contact 60 having a tongue61 which co-operates with a moving spring contact 62, the moving springcontact being controlled by a pin 63 on the inside of a finger switch64. The finger switch 64 retains a spring index plate 65 which slidesalong the inner surface of the outer half case 53 releasably engagesover an index plate engaging projection 67 on the inner face of theouter half case 53. When the finger switch 64 is moved, the pin 63 ridesup a ramp face on the moving spring contact 62 urging it into electricalengagement with the tongue 61.

The manner in which the invention is used is as follows:

The golf club is swung in a partly illuminated area while the globes areilluminated by the batteries. A line or mark on the ground indicates theintended line of flight and a designated spot indicates the position ofthe ball. The user takes his stance in relation to these points. As theclub moves through its arc, the two small light sources impress upon thebrain, through the persistence of vision, the illusion of two streaks oflight, and the distance between the two streaks of light at any point isa function of angle of the club face. This angle of course changescontinuously during the swing of the club, the forward end of the clubbeing further out away from the eye of the user at the beginning of thestroke, but closer in toward the eye of the user at the end of thestroke, than the rear end of the club. By a correct movement or swing ofthe golf club, two streaks of light will be observed by the user of theclub which will converge and intersect at the instant of impact with aball if the club has been correctly swung. This corresponds to a strokewherein no spin is imparted to the golf ball. By noting the movement ofleading light only in relation to a ground mark or intended line offlight an inside-out or outside-in swing is readily detected by theuser. The trailing globe can be readily occluded or covered, if desired,to simplify the detection of this action. The path of travel of eachlight globe is readily determined due to the users persistence ofvision.

If the streaks of light appear to the user to intersect before the pointof impact this will indicate an outside-in swing while if they appear tointersect after the point of impact the inside-out swing will beindicated. This gives a ready means of determining the exact nature ofthe swing of the club.

The invention can be extended to be used with other striking instrumentswhere it is desirable to know the position of the striking instrument atthe point of impact.

If it is desired, the globes may be replaced by reflectors of known typeas light directing members, the reflectors being secured to the boom,and co-operating with an external light source to indicate their pathsof travel.

What I claim is:

1. A sporting device comprising a support member and a boom securedthereto, horizontal flanges on said boom directed towards each other,said horizontal flanges having edges defining a parallel-sided slotbeneath the boom, a globe-retaining member of constant cross-section andincluding upwardly converging side walls having lower terminal edgesprovided with longitudinally extending flangeengaging grooves, saidflange-engaging grooves releasably engaging said edges of the horizontalflanges, said globeretaining member having an upper surface providedwith a central globe-retaining groove extending therealong, and a pairof conductor grooves disposed one on each side of the globe-retaininggroove, a pair of spaced globes in the globe-retaining groove, theglobes being disposed one behind the other lengthwise of theglobe-retaining groove, said boom having an upper surface and a pair ofillumination apertures in said upper surface aligned with the globeswhereby the latter are visible through said apertures, a pair ofconductors one in each conductor groove electrically connected to saidglobes, and a twin flexible power cable connected to said conductors.

2. A supporting device comprising a support member and a boom securedthereto, a positioning plate on one end of the boom, horizontal flangeson said boom directed towards each other, the flanges having edgesdefining a parallel-sided slot beneath the boom, a globe-retainingmember of constant cross-section and including upwardly converging sidewalls having lower terminal edges provided with longitudinally extendingflange-engaging grooves, said fiange-engaging grooves releasablyengaging said edges of the horizontal flanges, said globe-retainingmember having an upper surface provided with a central globe-retaininggroove extending therealong and a pair of conductor grooves disposed oneon each side of the globe-retaining groove, a pair of spaced globes inthe globe-retaining groove, the globes being disposed one behind theother lengthwise of the globe-retaining groove, said boom having anupper surface and illumination apertures in the upper surface of thesaid boom aligned with the globes whereby the latter are visible throughsaid apertures, a pair of conductors one in each conductor grooveelectrically connected to said globes, and a twin flexible power cableconnected to said conductors.

3. A sporting device comprising a support member and a boom securedthereto, a positioning plate on one end of the boom, horizontal flangeson said boom directed towards each other, said horizontal flanges havingedges defining a parallel-sided slot beneath the boom, a globeretainingmember of constant cross-section and including upwardly converging sidewalls with lower terminal edges provided with longitudinally extendingflange-engaging grooves, said flange-engaging grooves releasablyengaging said edges of the horizontal flanges, said globe-retainingmember having an upper surface provided with a central globe-retaininggroove extending therealong and a pair of conductor grooves disposed oneon each side of the globeretaining groove, a pair of spaced globes inthe globe-retaining groove, the globes being disposed one behind theother lengthwise of the globe-retaining groove, said boom havingopposite ends and an upper surface provided with a pair of illuminationapertures adjacent said ends, said globes being located in theglobe-retaining groove in alignment with the apertures and being therebyvisible through said apertures, a pair of conductors one in eachconductor groove electrically connected to said globes, and a twinflexible power cable connected to said conductors for supplyingelectrical power thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,158,211 5/39Aitken 273l86 2,787,470 4/ 5'7 Barrus et al 273l86 3,070,373 12/62Mathew et a1 273-183 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

1. A SPORTING DEVICE COMPRISING A SUPPORT MEMBER AND A BOOM SECUREDTHERETO, HORIZONTAL FLANGES ON SAID BOOM DIRECTED TOWARDS EACH OTHER,SAID HORIZONTAL FLANGES HAVING EDGES DEFINING A PARALLEL-SIDED SLOTBENEATH THE BOOM, A GLOBE-RETAINING MEMBER OF CONSTANT CROSS-SECTION ANDINCLUDING UPWARDLY CONVERGING SIDE WALLS HAVING LOWER TERMINAL EDGESPROVIDED WITH LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FLANGEENGAGING GROOVES, SAIDFLANGE-ENGAGING GROOVES RELEASBLY ENGAGING SAID EDGES OF THE HORIZONTALFLANGES, SAID GLOBERETAINING MEMBER HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE PROVIDEDWITH A CENTRAL GLOBE-RETAINING GROOVE EXTENDING THEREALONG, AND A PAIROF CONDUCTOR GROOVES DISPOSED ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE GLOBE-RETAININGGROOVE, A PAIR OF SPACED GLOBES IN THE GLOBE-RETAINING GROOVE, THEGLOBES BEING DISPOSED ONE BEHIND THE OTHER LENGTHWISE OF THEGLOBE-RETAINING GROOVE, SAID BOOM HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE AND A PAIR OFILUMINATION APERTURES IN SAID UPPER SURFACE ALIGNED WITH THE GLOBESWHEREBY THE LATTER ARE VISIBLE THROUGH SAID APERTURES, A PAIR OFCONDUCTORS ONE IN EACH CONDUCTOR GROVE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAIDGLOBES, AND A TWIN FLEXIBLE POWER CABLE CONNECTED TO SAID CONDUCTORS.